Are elections truly free in many places?

In the article, which is the same one from another Russia post, we can see that the opposition is highly oppressed. In that case, how can we say Russians are truly hearing more than one side of the story? I mean, there isn't even one anti-war candidate running it seems like.

There is no place in this world that elections are truly free and fair without any form of interference and manipulation. In some places, it is subtle while in some other places, it is obvious. In the end, it is always the party that has the better strategy for either subtle or obvious manipulation that always wins elections.